Single-delivery holder for toothpicks, &amp;c.



R. G. BRYANT. SINGLE DELIVERY HOLDER FOR TOOTHPIOKS, 6w. APPLICATION FILED MARJQ, 1913.

. 9 1,085,574. v Patented Jan. 27, 1914.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR I BY A TTOR/VEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT C. BRYANT, 0F CLATSKANIE, OREGON.

SINGLE-DELIVERY HOLDER FOR TOOTI-IPICKS, 860.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, Ronnnr O. BRYANT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Clatskanie, Columbia county, and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Improvemnt in Single-Delivery Holders for Toot-hpicks, &c., of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for efiecting single delivery of tooth picks, matches, etc., to individual users.

In the main, however, my invention relates to such devices as are intended for tooth-picks; and in this connection my in vention has for its object to provide a holder in which the tooth-picks are inclosed so as to keep them in a sanitary state, from exposure to dust and from being handled; and to deliver the tooth-picks singly by mechanical means. In such means are furthermore included other means whereby the resilient property of the tooth-pick is brought into play as a means for insuring the proper dis charge of the tooth-pick from the holder. I prefer to use as the repository for the toothpicks a container of approximately cylindrical form, rotatably supported in the frame, and mechanically rotated step by step, and to provide in connection with the rotating means other means whereby the speed of rotation of the rotated container is properly controlled. The case of my holder is also so arranged as to provide for the convenient replenishing of the container.

The above mentioned and incidental features are hereinafter fully described in detail.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section of my machine, showing the various parts in their inactive state; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View taken approximately on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; the broken lines showing the driving mechanism moved to a position where it is rendered active; Fig. 3 is another transverse sectional view taken approximately on the line 33 of Fig. 1; this view shows only the tooth-pick holder and delivery chute, the other parts being omitted; and Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are diagrammatic views illustrating the action of a tooth-pick at various phases of its travel in the process of being delivered.

A pneumatic cylinder, 0!, is made with two parallel vertical arms, I), a, both projecting upwardly. The arm Z) is of greater length than the arm 0, and is provided with a lat- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 19, 1913.

Patented Jan. 27, 1914. Serial No. 755,564.

eral extension (Z, as shown in Fig. 1. A horizontal shaft 6 is rotatably journaled between the two arms 5, c, and a ratchet wheel, f, pinned to such shaft, as shown at g in Fig. 1. A piston comprising a head It and a rod 2' is arranged to be reciprocated in the cylinder (4. For convenience of operation, the piston rod 71 is provided with a button j. An air aperture 70, placed in the top of the cylinder (1, prevents a vacuum chamber being formed above the piston head it when the latter is depressed. The base of the cylinder, a, is provided with a check-valve m, normally open when the piston is being depressed, and "closed when such depression has ceased. A coil-spring it, placed beneath the piston head it, is compressed by the depression of the piston, and when the depressing force has been removed, said spring will cause the piston to resume its normal position, as shown in Fig. l. A pawl, 0, engaging with the ratchet 7, is pivotally at.- tached to the piston rod 2', as shown in Fig. 2. The arrangement of the pawl and ratchet is such that the pawl will act only on the upward movement of the piston rod to drive the ratchet wheel a predetermined distance.

Fixedly mounted on the shaft, 6, is a cylindrical tooth pick container 79. Said container is made preferably of glass and of a minimum weight so that it will not ofier too much resistance to rotation, and by being approximately cylindrical in form will insure a uniform position of the tooth-picks contained in my device. Projecting radially from the interior of the "container, 70, is a series of small carrier-hooks r. These hooks are adapted to hold one tooth-pick at a time and are arranged as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. A cap, 8, is made so as to fit snugly over the open end of the container 79, and will revolve with thel atter.

Hingedly attached to the end of the arm (Z is an arm Z. A delivery chute, a, is made with a "collar 1), provided with flanges 0), e upon which collar the cap s is free to rotate. The outer end of this chute is "rigidly fastened to the lower end of the pendant, hinged arm 2,. See Fig. 1. In this way the chute will be maintained in a fiked position while the container and its cap may be revolved about it in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 2 and 3. The length and shape of the chute is such that when the cap 8 is removed from the container and the arm 1, swung outwardly, the chute will swing entirely clear of the container.

This open position is shown in the broken lines of Fig. l, and allows said holder tobe replenished when required.

The chute, u, is inclined to such a degree that a toothpick deposited in same will slide out through the mouth and be deposited in some sort of a receptacle, as, for instance, a dish 20. The cylinder, a, is bolted onto a base m, which will hold the parts in a stable position, as they would otherwise be top heavy.

I shall now show how a toothpick is delivered into the chute u. One side, y, of this chute is of such height that it will almost touch the inner periphery of the rotatable container. In order that the hooks, 7, will not interfere with this die, I have provided the latter with a small notch 4, lo cated in the path of the said hooks through which the latter may pass freely. The other side, a, of the chute is made of a lesser height, so that a toothpick held relatively close to the interior periphery of the rotat ing container by one of the hooks, 1', may be rotated past said side without any interference of parts. A notch 5, similar to the notch 4:, and performing the same function, is provided in the side 2. Furthermore, I provide two parallel prongs 6, located on either side of the notch 5, and equi-distant from the path of motion of the hooks 7 Said prongs project slightly above the uppermost edge of the side 2, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Let us assume that a supply of toothpicks 7 are in the container. The piston rod a is depressed to the position shown in the broken lines of Fig. 2. The consequent return upward movement of the piston, due to the action of the spring at, will cause the ratchet f, and thereby the container p, to be rotated a quarter revolution. This will leave a toothpick 8 located on one of the hooks r, as shown in Fig. 3. A repetition of this action will cause the container to be rotated another quarter revolution, which would normally bring the toothpick 8 to a position at the top of the container, and bring another hook and toothpick to the position just vacated by the parts in question. However, this quarter revolution will carry the toothpick 8 over the side 2 of the chute, where it will be engaged by the prongs 6. The consequent action of these parts, which combine to release said toothpick from the hook 1" and deliver same into the chute a, is shown in the diagrammatic Figs. 4:, 5 and 6, as follows: In these figures, the fingers 6 are to be regarded as being fixed in position, while the hook 1", bearing the tooth-pick 8, is being rotated in the direction indicated by the arrows. In Fig. 4C the hook, 1', has been rotated to the point where the tooth-pick 8 contacts with the fingers 6. Further movement of the hook 7', as shown in Fig. 5, will cause the ends of the tooth-pick 8 to be bent backward by the fingers 6. A further rotation of.

the hook 7" will carry the tooth-pick upward and out of engagement with said fingers, and the springing back to normal position of said tooth-pick will cause it to be thrown forward off the hook 1", against the side y of the chute, whereupon it will slide down the latter into the receiving receptacle w.

I claim:

1. A holder for tooth-picks and like objects consisting of a. supporting frame, a container, of approximately cylindrical form, rotatably supported in the frame, means for rotating the container step by step; a delivery chute within the container adapted to discharge from the latter, such chute provided with prongs, and a series of hooks disposed peripherally on the interior of the container in a plane intermediate said prongs of the chute.

2. A holder for tooth-picks and like objects consisting of a supporting frame, a

container, of approximately cylindrical form, rotatably supported in the frame, means for rotating the container step by step; a delivery chute Within the container adapted to discharge from the latter, said chute removably inserted in the container and supported by a movable member of the supporting frame; and means for carrying objects of the container singly into said chute.

3. A holder for tooth-picks and like objects consisting of a supporting frame, a. container, of approximately cylindrical form, rotatably supported in the frame, means for rotating the container step by step; a delivery chute within the container adapted to discharge from the latter, said chute remo-vably inserted in the container and supported by a movable member of the supporting frame; such chute provided with prongs; and a series of hooks disposed pe- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

